LARGE CENTIPEDES. 461 



appeared to be familiar with the sight of them, for 

 among other astonishing beasts I was to see at the 

 Hawash was one, they told me, something like a lizard, 

 which they used to represent by joining the two elbows 

 together, and then opening wide the hands and fore 

 arms, intimated what an extent of mouth this 

 animal had. Traces of hyaenas, and of some large 

 feline animal, were repeatedly seen, and although I 

 saw no elephants in this place, their sharp trumpet 

 cry was heard throughout the next night. 



On idly turning over some stones, to see the 

 greatest number of scorpions I could find in one 

 family, I came upon a large black centipede, curled 

 up in the usual manner of these reptiles when they 

 are exposed. Stooping to examine it more closely, 

 Ohmed Medina and others, who had seen me 

 without remark amusing myself with the scorpions 

 now cried out that this would kill me, and some got 

 up from the ground to pull me away, for they 

 supposed I was going to take hold of it. Turning 

 up my face with a peculiar look, as if to ask them 

 if they thought me such a goose, I said in English 

 inquiringly, " Bite like devil V to which Ohmed 

 Medina, in a tone of the most decided affirmation, 

 made me laugh by repeating my words like an 

 echo, " Bite like devil!" accompanied with repeated 

 nods of the head so appropriately, that he appeared 

 fully to understand the import of the words he 

 used. 



We loitered along the stony banks of the lake until 



